Temporary shoulder cape



1944- J. A. TISCORNIA 2,364,563

TEMPORARY SHOULDER CAPE Filed June 2, 1942.

- INVENTOR.

Jvnssfi. 77800E lvm AT'T'OENEX ing in which- Patented Dec. 5, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEMII'ORARY SHOULDER CAPE James A. Tiscornia, San Jose, Calif. Application June 2, 1942, Serial No. 445,439

2 Claims.

This invention relates broadly. to shoulder cov erings of the nature of a cape or bib, and relates especially to those devices which are adapted for temporary purposes. For the purposes of description it is generically called a cape, though for certain purposes of its use it might equally well be termed a bib. In its more specific form, the invention particularly relates to a cape or bib having a neck band or collar, and, selectively, having a marginal rim providing a peripheral gutter. This type of cape or bib will find advantages for use on patients of doctors, dentists, and hospitals, and for patrons of barbers, beauty shops, and the like, and may also be employed by the housewife in the home where it will be advantageous for use in the feeding of children or serving meals to sick persons in bed, as well as in all situations where a temporary, efficient, sanitary and economical cape or protective shoulder covering is desired to fit around the neck and drape over the shoulders.

The foregoing advantages broadly indicate the objects of the invention, and are further amplified by providing a flexible cape or bib device which has an attached collar to fit or form closely about the neck; to provide a collared shoulder covering which may be formed economically by stamping from sheet material; to provide a flat collared cape device, which, in use, will assume a draped or conical form over the shoulders of the wearer, and having a sump or gutter at its periphery to receive and hold any matter sliding or rolling down the draped or cape body. I

With the foregoing and'other objects in view, all of which will be more fully described in this specification, one form which the invention may take consists of the novel arrangement and combination of parts described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it being understood that changes in size, form, shape, proportion, and minor details, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the concept orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is invited to the accompanying draw- Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form which the invention may take.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the form of invention shown in Fig. 1, but with parts in a difierent position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the device of Figs. 1 and 2 in operation.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of th invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the device of Fig. l, in cape-forming relation.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views, I0 is a body of flexible sheet material. It may be made of gores, but, because of saving of labor and material, it is highly preferable that it be cut from a sheet in a single plane, which may be economically accomplished by die-stamping of a plurality of superposed or stacked sheets. The body Ill may be of any suitable flexible sheet material such as thin rubber or cloth, but it is preferred that it be made of sheets of paper which makes it very economical, and relative soft, so as to facilitate its draping over the shoulders of the wearer. One example of such a sheet paper is what is commonly referred to as craped or crimped paper such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Flat sheet paper may also be employed if desired.

In Figs-1 and 2, I have shown the body In as generally circular in plan, and in Fig. 4 it is shown as ovoidal. It may assume any other suitable shape in peripheral outline.

The flexible body II] has a neck opening H centrally thereof, which may be concentric or eccentric to the body, depending on whether it is desired to have varying widths of body material at the front orback when the cape is in use. In the case of a true bib it may be desirable that the neck opening I I be relatively close to the periphery of the body l0.

The neck opening has connected therearound a collar l2, which, when in use, is adapted for standing up vertically as in Figs. 3 and 5, and forming a band about the neck of the wearer. Since this collar is adapted for vertical positioning, its free edge lila should be of a length at least substantially equal to the circumference of the opening ii. If the collar l2 were stamped out as an integral part of the body I0, its free edge |2a will be of a lesser circumferential length than at the base l2b of the collar, the latter substantially corresponding in length with the full circumference of the opening H. Therefore, it is preferred that the collar I2 be formed of a piece of material separately from the body blank Ill, and connected to the body Ill by gluing one edge portion thereof to one face of the body Ill. Since the strip must be glued around the circumference of the opening ll, it may be slitted at the portion which is to be glued, and this will permit the glued portion of the strip to be bent around the edge of the circumferential opening II, at the central line |2b of the strip. Forming the collar member separately also permits making the collar of a softer material, which is desirable since it contacts the skin of the neck.

It is preferred that the collar be prepared as a separate member in a flat form as shown in Fig. 1, with the slits 13 cut in edge thereof, and the overfolds [4 formed at the opposite edge in which condition or shape it may be readily glued in flat form to the flat face of body II! at the opening I l. The folds may be unfolded or opened up when the device is used in order that the collar may stand vertically.

For the purposes of stacking a plurality of these devices in superposed relation for packaging or shipment, it is desirable that the vertical collars be pressed into the plane of the body I0. Since the collar, when standing vertical, is of the same circumference as the opening I I, it will, when pressed flat into the plane of body [0, have a surplus of length at its free edge l2a which may be taken up or absorbed into relatively small folds l4 that can open up when the collar is again erected vertically in use.

The body has another opening which may be termed a slotted opening [5 extending radially through the collar [2 and the body I0. This slotted opening I5 may be made in the collar and the body after the collar has been attached to the body. The slotted opening provides opposed edges of end portions I6 and ll of body I0 which, when the device is in use, may be overlapped and fastened together in temporarily secured relations by any suitable means such as the common straight pin, or a safety pin, or any kind of well known clip for papers, snap fasteners etc. But separate fastening means may become lost or not at hand at all times, and I have, therefore, incorporated into the device an attached means for fastening. In Fig. 1, such means comprises a flexible ear l8 having a tongue IS, the latter being insertible through a slot 2 0, and bendable upon itself to grip the slot edge as at 2| in Fig. 3. In Fig. 4 the means for temporarily securing the overlapped end portions, [6 and I1, comprises a film of cooperating, self-sealing adhesive on each of the opposed overlapped edges. Such adhesives are well known, and have been largely used for sealing envelopes, sometimes called dry-sealing adhesive.

The body Ill may also be optionally provided with a peripheral gutter 22, for collecting any material, hair or other matter which may roll down the inclined surface of the cape when in use. This gutter is provided by creasing the body blank ID in spaced adjacent relation to its circumference or peripheral edge, as at 23, and then bending back or retroverting the material between the crease and the circumferential edge to provide a rim, 24. When packed in the flat, the retroverted material or rim as shown in dotted line in 24, Fig. 1, overlies the body blank. Since the peripheral circumference is thus reduced, this causes overlapping folds in the retroverted portion, or rim 24. When in use, the diameter of the plane of body I0 is reduced by overlapping the ends I6, I! causing the retroverted edge or rim portion, 24, to stand up more or less vertically as shown in Fig. 3, and thus provide the gutter or sump 22.

In the modification of Figs. 4 and 5, the body lfla has an ovoidal shape and is shown as made of pre-crimped or craped paper. The neck opening lla is also ovoidal; the longitudinal dimension of the oval body la and the opening I la being in the same general direction, or more or less parallel. The effect of this form is that when the body ends l6, H are drawn into overlying relation it contracts the body Illa and opening I la longitudinally so that, when the device is in use, the body Illa and opening Ha are substantially circular in plan, as shown in Fig. 5.

In practice, when the device is used, the opposing end portions 16 and H at the slotted opening [5 are drawn to overlying relation and since this reduces the diameter of the respective openings II and Ila, the body forms itself somewhat conically, thereby causing the collar to automatically pull itself to a partially vertical position and causing the folds M to open. Likewise, the rim or baffle 24 automatically pulls itself to a more or less vertical position due to the fact that its diameter is also reduced, thereby providing the gutter, 22.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A body blank for forming a shoulder cape, comprising a fiat body member flexible throughout its body and arcuate in circumference, said body blank having centrally thereof an ovoidal opening for encircling the neck of a Wearerand having a slot opening communicating with said neck opening and extending radially therefrom to the periphery of the body blank providing opposed radial edges of the body blank, the said flexible body blank having adjacent its periphery a scored line defining a peripheral strip thereof, said peripheral strip being of flexible material and bent inwardly to overlie the plane of the body blank and having spaced flatly overlapping folds in its inturned edge portion whereby a plurality of the capes may be stacked in superficial contact throughout their area while flat, and whereby an upstanding peripheral gutter is provided circumferentially of the flexible body. when the body is conically adjusted by overlapping the said opposed radial edge portions.

2. A body blank for forming a shoulder cape, comprising a flat body member flexible throughout its body and ovoidal in circumference, said body blank having an ovoidal opening for encircling the neck of a wearer, said flexible body blank being provided with a slot opening com.- municating with saidneck opening and extending radially therefrom to the periphery of the body blank providing opposed radial edges of the body blank which may be overlapped, a collar of flexible material at the neck opening and pressed radially inwardly thereof substantially into the same plane as the blank, the said flexible body blank having adjacent its periphery a scored line defining a peripheral strip thereof, said peripheral strip being. of flexible material and bent inwardly to overlie the plane of the body blank, said collar member and said circumferential strip, when lying fiat substantially in the plane of the body blank, having spaced flat overlapping folds in their inturned edge portions, whereby a plurality of the capes may be stacked in superficial contact throughout their area while flat, and whereby the said respective collar member and strip member may be pulled to an upstanding position when the body blank is conically adjusted by overlapping the said opposed radial edge portions.

JAMES A. TISCORNIA. 

